A/N: Are you don shunning me yet? I can't really shun you, you're in my mind... Well, someone's slightly insane then. Oh well, what do I have to live for if not Harry Potter?


There were several people in the room. Sirius, Wormtail, Dumbledore, Harry, Cecilia and others from the ministry. An official looking person introduced himself as Jason and said he was going to be remaining in the room with them during the interrogations to make sure noting went amiss. He and Dumbledore were talking in hushed tones while Cici and Harry were talking together.

"So, we go back to Hogwarts. Ask if we can talk in private and then…we disappear? Just like that?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, it sounds simple, but no ones gonna want to leave the two of us alone. Not after this." Cici pointed out.

"True, but they can't crowd us if they can't find us!" Harry replied after thinking it through for a moment. "We do have Dad's cloak."

"Oh, Harry," Cecilia sighed, pushing her sleeves up. "What would we do without you?"

"Hey, enough with the sarcasm!" Harry interjected, his eyes looking downward. He started to speak again, but something caught his eye and made him stop dead. Cecilia's hands had been twined together in her lap and Harry had clear view of her left arm. The arm branded with the Dark Mark. "Oh my God! Cici! Your arm!"

Cecilia had just enough time to look down, be utterly shocked and pull her sleeve back down before everyone else looked over at Harry's sudden outburst. "Good going Harry, warn the entire room I'm technically a Death Eater will you!" She whispered through her teeth. "Oh, it's all fine; just found another cut is all!" She smiled until the last person looked away satisfied with her answer and then glance at Harry. "So, Dark Marks travel through time too. Great. I was hoping to be rid of it. For a fresh start."

"It's ok, Cici, we'll find a way. I promise."

"Don't make promises you cannot keep, Harry."

"Ok everyone," Jason started, clapping his hands for the attention of everybody in the room. "We will start the interrogations with Pettigrew, then Black, followed by Dumbledore, Miss. Potter and last Mr. Potter. If you'll please be quiet, we will begin." The room fell silent as they waited.

An auror came forward with Pettigrew and place him in the single chair facing the crowd. Waving his wand, the auror slowly backed up as Pettigrew awoke. He headed toward Cecilia. "You cast the spell that knocked him out, correct?" Cici nodded. "It was very powerful, I had to use twice as much energy as I normally do to wake him." He studied her for a moment, his head tilted. "You would make a good auror." He nodded slightly in goodbye as he backed away.

"Thanks." She muttered as he backed up. But she soon focused her attention on the slumped form sitting at the interrogation table. He stirred slightly and lifted his head slowly.

"Whaaa?" He slurred out, squinting and rubbing his eyes. "Where am I?"

The Minister moved forward in a manner that could only be described as strutting. "You are Peter Pettigrew, correct?"

"Yes." He replied in a short, clipped tone that proved he was under the influence of veritaserum unwillingly.

The only people that remained in the room were Harry, Cecilia, Dumbledore and Sirius. Jason was lurking in the corner of the room, ready to jump into action should Peter try anything funny. All rolled their eyes at the first question. "Ok, let us start with something simple. Were you a Death Eater 15 years ago, before You-Know-Who's downfall?"

"Yes; I still am and always will be!"

"Are you the one that assisted You-Know-Who in his return last year and the one the killed Cedric Diggory the day of the Third Task in the Triwizard Tournament?"

Pettigrew was looking everywhere in the room but at the 6 surrounding him. You could tell he was trying not to say anything more that would further dig his grave. "Yes," He started after a short delay, "I was the one that preformed the ceremony that brought the Dark Lord back and killed the boy who needn't have died that day, had the plan gone accordingly."

"Very well. That brings us to the night James and Lily Potter were murdered. Were you not the secret-keeper for the Potters? The one who then informed You-Know-Who of their where-abouts?"

"I was their secret–keeper. James had told me Sirius wished it to be me. I wanted safety in the crumbling world, and safety was found only with the Dark Lord, on his side. I wanted in so I found a way. Give him the where-abouts of the Potter family and I was ensured freedom in the new world. Safety. What I so craved."

"Yes, ok, please explain what happened that night. With Sirius Black."

"Sirius was the only one that knew I was their new secret-keeper. He knew it had to have been me that told the Dark Lord. He hunted me down. I ran; I tried to get to safety before he got to me so I did not have to do what I did, but he found me first. So I did what I had to do to gain safety for myself. While making a scene, I cut off my finger and left it there, then blew up any surrounding muggles or wizards that could have heard the story clearly and transformed into a rat. I then found a nice safe home with the Weasley family and ended up with Ron in his first year and who should befriend him but Harry Potter; the very reason all of this ever started!" By the end of the mini-speech, he sounded hysterical and was screeching.

"Very well, Mr. Pettigrew, that is all I need from you. It is clear you are guilty of all crimes accused of you by Miss. Potter. Mr. Black, if you'll take a seat, we'll begin shortly."

Sirius shuffled foreword. Sitting down, he calmly took the veritaserum, knowing there was nothing that he could possibly be guilty of now the Pettigrew had confessed. He sat with his head held high and confidently.

"Did you refuse to be the secret-keeper for the Potters and convince them to have Pettigrew be it?" The Minister jumped into the interrogation.

"I started as their secret-keep, but yes, I figured Voldemort would have guessed that I was and I convinced James and Lily to have Peter be the secret-keeper instead. I thought it would keep them safe. I was sadly mistaken." Sirius said, his eyes downcast in regret and shame.

"Are you currently or have you ever been within the ranks of You-Know-Who's Death Eaters?" The Minister leaned forward ever so slightly, expecting him to say yes.

"No. I have been against him from the start. Always a part of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Very well," the Minister stated after a short, disappointed pause. "Explain your version of the night the Potter's died."

"I had been out on a mission for the Order when the news of James and Lily's deaths reached me. After the general shock disappeared, I calmed enough to realize who had to have been the one to betray their where-abouts to Voldemort: their secret-keeper, which everyone believed to be me. The only ones at that point that knew Peter was the new secret-keeper was myself, Peter, James, Lily and Dumbledore; therefore everyone figured I was the one that betrayed them. I was blinded by anger. I set myself up. I tracked Peter, he was running, but I was faster and caught up to him. We got into a screaming match. I should have realized he was planning something, but I was so angry I didn't pay attention; I should have known what Peter was going to do. The next thing I knew, he had his wand out and was whispering a spell, the surrounding people were blown up, Peter had disappeared and I was being arrested."

Sirius had his head in his hands; regret pouring off him in waves. "It was all my fault they died. If I hadn't insisted that Peter be the secret-keeper, they'd probably still be alive!" Cecilia could sense that he was crying now, never having had the chance to fully grieve for the deaths of 2 of his closest friends.

"Yes, okay then. That is all." The Minister looked slightly disappointed. "I do not feel the rest of you will need to testify, I believe that Mr. Black and Mr. Pettigrew have given enough proof. You are all free to go, except for you of course, Mr. Pettigrew. I find sufficient evidence against you to prove you guilty of the deaths of Lily and James Potter, on top of the face that you admitted to being a Death Eater. And the death of Cedric Diggory you are also guilty of."

Sirius stood on shaky legs, tears still silently falling freely down his face. He walked over to Harry and Cecilia. "I'm so sorry." He embraced them in a hug, holding them close. "I blame myself."

"It's not your fault, Sirius." Harry said pulling away.

"We've known the whole story since 3rd year. We've never once blamed you, don't go blaming yourself now." Cecilia said, also pulling away.

He smiled. "You two have such confidence in me. Thank you." They nodded and he placed his arms around their shoulders. "Let's just get back to Hogwarts." Dumbledore led the three of them out the door with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.


A/N: And the revising continues! So close to being done! Please review? I live for reviews-so that means I'm pretty much dead because I have not gotten many reviews lately. Please? (:

WD